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How to Create an Emergency Medical Info Card (With a QR Code)

Step-by-step guide to making an emergency medical information card: what to include, what to leave off, phone lock-screen Medical ID settings, and how to use QR codes sensibly.

If you collapse in the street, are in a car accident or have a severe allergic reaction, the people helping you have very little to go on. An emergency medical information card gives them the essentials in seconds: who you are, what conditions or allergies matter, what medication you take and who to call.

It takes about twenty minutes to make one. This guide covers what to put on it, what to leave off, how to set up the equivalent on your phone, and where a QR code helps or does not.

This is general information, not medical advice. If you have a complex condition, ask your doctor what responders most need to know about it.

Who should carry one

Honestly, everyone. But it is especially worth doing if you:

  • Have a serious allergy, particularly to a medication, food or insect stings.
  • Have a condition that could cause sudden incapacity or be mistaken for something else, such as diabetes, epilepsy, a heart condition or adrenal insufficiency.
  • Take blood thinners, insulin or other medication that affects emergency treatment.
  • Have an implanted device such as a pacemaker or insulin pump.
  • Live alone, travel alone or exercise alone.
  • Care for someone else who depends on you, so responders know someone needs help at home.

What to include

Keep it short. A responder needs to read it in under a minute, possibly in poor light.

Essential

  • Full name and date of birth
  • Emergency contacts: two people, with relationship and phone number including country code
  • Allergies: especially medications, and the type of reaction
  • Current medications: name and dose, for anything that matters in an emergency
  • Medical conditions: the ones relevant to emergency care

Useful if it applies

  • Implanted devices
  • Blood type, if you know it reliably (hospitals will test anyway)
  • Primary language, if not the local language
  • Your doctor’s name and practice phone number
  • “I have an advance directive / healthcare proxy. Contact: …”
  • Organ donor status
  • “I am a carer for … who will need help at home”

Leave off

  • Your full home address (the card may be lost)
  • Insurance or ID numbers that could enable fraud
  • Long medical histories that slow down the important bits
  • Anything you would not want a stranger who finds your wallet to read

Step 1: Write it out

Draft the content on one page first. A layout that works well:

EMERGENCY MEDICAL INFORMATION

Name:          Alex Example        DOB: 1984-03-12
Conditions:    Type 1 diabetes (insulin pump)
Allergies:     Penicillin (anaphylaxis)
Medications:   Insulin via pump; levothyroxine 100 mcg daily
Contacts:      Sam Example (partner)  +44 7700 900123
               Jo Example (sister)    +44 7700 900456
Doctor:        Dr Rivera, Northside Practice  +44 20 7946 0000

The names and numbers above are fictional placeholders. Use plain words rather than abbreviations a responder might not recognise, and write dates in an unambiguous format.

Step 2: Make the wallet card

Print or write it on a card the size of a credit card, then keep it next to your ID, since that is where someone looking for your identity will search. A few practical tips:

  • Write “MEDICAL INFORMATION” at the top in capitals so it is obvious.
  • Laminate it, or use a clear card sleeve.
  • Use a font size you can read at arm’s length.
  • If you have a severe allergy or condition, consider medical alert jewellery as well. Responders are trained to look for it.

Step 3: Set up your phone’s lock-screen information

Modern phones let emergency responders see medical information without unlocking the device. Turn this on, because many people carry their phone more reliably than their wallet.

iPhone: open the Health app, tap your profile picture, then Medical ID. Fill in the fields and switch on Show When Locked. You can also enable sharing during an emergency call. Responders can view it from the lock screen via Emergency, then Medical ID.

Android: the location varies by manufacturer, but look in Settings for Safety & emergency or Emergency information. Add medical details and emergency contacts, and check that the information is visible from the lock screen.

After setting it up, lock your phone and check that you can see it yourself from the lock screen. It is a ten-second test that many people skip.

Step 4: Decide whether to add a QR code

QR codes can fit more information than a small card, and are easy to scan with any phone camera. There are two quite different kinds, and the difference matters.

Offline (text) QR codes

The information itself is encoded directly in the code. Scanning shows the text without needing an internet connection or any website. This is the more private option: nothing is stored online, and the content cannot change after printing.

The limitation is size. A QR code that holds a lot of text becomes dense and harder to scan, so keep the content to the essentials.

The code contains a web address, and the information lives on a web page. This lets you update it without reprinting, and include more detail.

The trade-offs are significant:

  • It needs a working internet connection at the moment of scanning.
  • Anyone who scans the code, or guesses the link, can see the page.
  • If the service hosting the page shuts down, the code stops working.

Do not rely on the QR code alone

Not every responder will scan a code, and some services have policies about scanning unknown links. Treat a QR code as a supplement. The most important information should still be readable as plain text on the card itself.

Step 5: Tell people and keep it current

  • Give a copy to your emergency contacts so they know what responders will see.
  • If you have children who carry phones, show them how to find your Medical ID.
  • Update the card whenever your medication changes, and check it at least once a year.
  • Put the date of the last update on the card.

How this fits into a wider plan

The medical card handles the first hour of an emergency. The days and weeks after need more: who handles the bills, where documents are, who looks after the cat. Our in case of emergency document checklist covers that, and what is a digital legacy plan covers your online accounts.

InCase is being built to include an emergency medical card alongside its encrypted vault: you choose exactly which fields appear on the card and its QR code, and keep the more private information in the vault for trusted contacts only. It is not available yet, and a handwritten card made today is worth far more than a perfect one made later.

The short version

Write down your name, date of birth, emergency contacts, allergies, key medications and relevant conditions. Put it on a card next to your ID, set up the Medical ID or emergency information on your phone’s lock screen, and add a QR code only as a supplement. Tell your emergency contacts, and update it whenever something changes.

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